


A great and shattering loss

by Petra



Category: DCU - Comicverse, Young Justice
Genre: Drabble Sequence, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-06-22
Updated: 2005-06-22
Packaged: 2017-10-11 19:05:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/115888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petra/pseuds/Petra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>DCU linked drabbles</p>
            </blockquote>





	A great and shattering loss

**Author's Note:**

> I am avoiding writing the AU of Doom (20K words, still needs another several chapters before this installment is done) by writing something with even less prospect of a happy ending.

"Sir," Alfred says. "It's been a week."

"I know," Tim says.

"You need sunlight."

"The bulbs are full spectrum." Tim holds up his hand. "I've got all the vitamin D I need."

"Sir."

"I'm not ready yet."

Alfred shakes his head. "The police commissioner has called the Joker's death a weight off of society. A blessing."

"What did he say about --" Tim chokes, takes a breath. "About Bruce Wayne. About – no. They didn't say anything about Dick."

"A great loss." Alfred touches his shoulder. "You knew that, sir."

"I'll go out tonight."

Alfred nods. "Good. The city does need you."

* * * * *

"I always knew you were evil, but – damn it, Luthor."

"Superboy." Lex smiles. "Or should I say Superman?"

"This wasn't necessary." Kon looks at the burn-out wreck of the barn, the pieces of tools lying on the ground.

"Oh, it was. All of it. It kept him here."

"I should kill you."

"And orphan yourself?"

Kon feels his eyes grow hot. "You're not my father."

"Who is, pray tell? Not the departed Kents, certainly."

"I could kill you where you stand."

Lex shakes his head. "It would be difficult to save the world as a hunted assassin."

"I'd manage."

* * * * *

"It doesn't look that bad on you." Kon zips around Tim to check out all the angles. "Kinda like when that kid --"

"Klarion." Tim nods and pushes the cowl back. "Yes. In a way."

"You think they'll come back?"

Tim opens a file. "More likely that Kal-El will, based on past evidence. But Bruce -- the DNA samples were quite clear."

Kon squeezes his shoulder through the black armor. "You've still got me."

Tim's smile is thinner than ever, but still there. "I know."

"I'm not going anywhere."

Tim leans against him, a little. A lot. "Good."

"I've got you."

* * * * *

"This isn't what I meant when I said I wanted to be the Flash," Bart says, and Kon messes up his hair, looking rueful.

"Yeah."

"I mean he – the Speed Force – it was really really bad. Like --" Bart shakes his head. "I wish I could talk to Max about it. Max could explain it. I don't even know what happened. And now – well – I guess I'm it."

Kon twitches his new cape. "Dude, I know the feeling. Not a good feeling."

"No." Bart hugs him at superspeed --

\-- and Kon – Superman, Bart supposes – is finally fast enough to hug him back.

* * * * *

She wasn't going to call them, but Bart called her.

"I'm not Green Arrow. I can't be." The paternity test means nothing, except checks from the Queen estate. Nothing.

"We need someone." Not Bart's voice. Tim's, only it's gotten deeper since she talked to him last.

"Not like that. If you want Arrowette --"

"We always did," Bart says. Not over the phone, outside the window, and Cissie winces. "Please?"

"Not in that costume. Something new. Something that's mine and nobody else's."

"Of course," Tim says over the phone. "We've got materials."

Bart grins at her. "And your ride's already here."

* * * * *

One evening Cassie is there in a black robe that makes her look like Raven. She has her lasso in her hand, as if they'd attack her. Kon is dumbstruck. Tim smiles. Cissie puts down her bow.

"You won't let me join," Cassie says. "I killed the man who killed Diana."

Kon shakes his head. "That's not a good reason to keep you out."

"The Joker's dead," Tim says – no. Batman says.

"Oh, gods." Cassie takes a deep breath and lets it out, shuddering. "You changed."

"So did you." Tim touches her shoulder. His hand is heavy. "Are you surprised?"


End file.
